If you’d like to take some time away from the seasonal buzz, we have the PA Library reserved on December 12th at 6:30pm. There’s no agenda or any films to play, just a time to chat and relax. Bring some food or refreshments to share if you wish!

Meanwhile, for those wanting to know more about what Transition means, here’s a 5 minute video about what’s happening in Totnes, the UK community where the transition movement started.

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We’ve gotten some great responses to our request for input! Many thanks.

It’s our hope for the 14th to see at least one working group form, dedicated to a food-related project. We’ll give a brief (20 minute or so) talk about what working groups are and how they fit into Transition… what follows is up to you. Bring your ideas!

Because this is all about food, please bring some snacks to share, as you are able. Don’t worry if you can’t, though!

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We’re looking toward January for the rescheduled training event. Details are still being ironed out, but they should be ready soon!

In the meanwhile, here’s some more information from our trainer:

Michelle Colussi is a Manager with the Canadian Centre for Community Renewal. Trained as a teacher, she has worked for over 25 years delivering and facilitating organizational development and strategic planning workshops among small business, NGO boards, First Nations and a variety of citizen stakeholder groups. She has experienced first hand the challenges of resource based communities as they struggle to adapt to change and facilitated a multi-stakeholder forest certification process and group for Western Forest Products for several years. She brings her business sense to the non-profit sector as a social enterprise trainer, coach and community economic development practitioner.

Michelle can share specific experience in community organizing and development in the fields of youth justice, mental health, the arts and community based small business sectors. She was a team lead in the design and delivery of the Community Resilience Manual, which has been used and adapted in several countries, including as the basis of a national Poverty Reduction Strategy in Botswana. She is currently the lead Canadian trainer, and co-ordinator of the Transition (Town) Training Network in Canada, and a founding member of Transition Victoria. Michelle brings a sense of humour, an openness to differences and strong collaboration skills that enable her to work with multi-interest groups at government, corporate and community levels. She lives in Victoria with her husband and son.

Transition training is a bit like a wine tasting: you get to hear about and try (no spitting allowed!) a variety of tools and approaches that will help you think about what might work in your town – and how to start. The workshop starts with an exploration of our outer context in the world today – not repeating what you already know (as the converted) but exploring how we communicate that to others in our communities. By noon you have an overview of all the ingredients of the model and then we break it down and spend some time with each step and key principle. Day Two starts off with a journey into the Inner world of Transition and explores various theories about how we came to be in this situation, and what we can do to “re-connect” with our own beliefs, with nature and each other.

I am a volunteer with William Klover and St. Vincent DePaulFood Pantry. We grow fruits and vegtables for The Salvation Army, The Food Bank and St. Vincent DePaul’s food pantry.It has been a very successful year, with a great deal of food provided for those in need. Unfortunately, our host Community Garden at 16th St., a PCMHC Client Home is for sale. We are in need of a replacement garden site in PA. If anyone has a double or triple lot we could use for our raised beds we would greatly appreciate it.

Time is of the essence, so if anyone can help please email william.klover (at) yahoo.com

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Please mark your calendars for October 15, 6:30pm, at the Port Angeles Library. This event will present Fixing the Future, a recently released movie focused on grassroots efforts across the USA. A couple of us from the Initiating Group saw the movie awhile back, and came away very inspired!

Afterward we’d like to have a group response to the movie, since this is the first film specifically focused on the US. Then we’ll break into focus groups as usual, and then reform before the end for review.

In brief:

When: October 15, 6:30pm

Where: Port Angeles Library, Carver Room

What: Fixing the Future, followed by discussion

If you have any questions, message us back! We love feedback on how we’re doing.

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Upcoming on the 29th is a free public lecture about the proposed public bank for Washington State. It will be given by David Spring, of the Washington Public Bank Coalition — www.WApublicbankproject.org

This project is beyond the scope of Transition Port Angeles, but it touches upon PA regardless. For example, a public bank could lend First Federal capital, so that it wouldn’t need to go public. The City of Port Angeles could lodge its funds in the public bank, instead of at US Bank. And so on…